Page 69 of Mark
“Lily,” I call out. “You didn’t pass out because of the panic attack. Your breathing had already become controlled by then. I think the panic was brought on because you aren’t feeling well.If this is a fear of yours, then your body most likely struggled to compartmentalise what was going on. One part of you was fighting to keep Rose safe, whilst another part was feeding your fear, all the while your body was overworked with being sick. Add in the heat tonight and probably being dehydrated, passing out was your body’s way of shutting down.”
Teagan runs her finger across her daughter’s shoulder. “Honey, she’s right. You’ve also been so stressed about being present all the time that you haven’t relaxed yet.”
Lily’s eyes meet her mum’s. “I want to be able to take my daughter places. I want my husband to be able to drink with my family. I don’t want people to keep working around my insecurities.”
“Fuck other people,” Jaxon growls. “You do take our daughter places. And why the hell would I want to drink with your family when you are the person I want to be with.”
“I’m not going to take that personally,” Maverick mutters. “I think what Jaxon is trying to say, is that you don’t hold him back. He wants to be where you are.”
“Damn straight,” Jaxon grouches.
Her tear-filled eyes meet her husband’s. “I want you to enjoy this holiday. You have so much going on at work. I wanted you to relax and have fun, but I’m holding you back. I’m boring.”
He lifts her chin. “Babe,this ismy ideal holiday. When we are at home, we have Maddox constantlypoppingin. If it’s not him, it’s one of our family members. Then there’s my work hours. My only regret is that we didn’t do this sooner. I don’t care if we don’t leave this room again for the entire trip. This is the most uninterrupted time we’ve spent together since we got married. If that makes you boring then I’m worse because, babe, you have more time for people than I do.”
“You mean patience,” Mark butts in.
“Will you promise to relax?” Maverick softly demands. “You are so busy trying to be the perfect sister, mother, wife and daughter that you are missing a key point. You are already perfect. No one but you judges what you can and can’t do. You are feeling sick, hot and tired, which heightened your stress when you stepped outside to seek help. It’s like Freya said, your brain was struggling to compartmentalise what was going on. You were around drunk people at the reception earlier and didn’t balk. I truly believe if you weren’t feeling so sick, you wouldn’t have been triggered earlier either.”
She nods, but then clutches her stomach. “I’m going to be sick.”
Jaxon quickly snatches the bin from the floor, holding it up. “Here you go, angel.”
“We will take Rose for the night so you can get some rest,” Teagan offers.
Lily wipes her mouth with a tissue. “No.”
“Honey, we are in the adjoining room right next door. We will keep it unlocked so if you feel better in the night, you can come in and get her.”
“Angel, let them,” Jaxon pleads. “As much as neither of us are ready to spend a night away, you aren’t well. Let them take care of Rose so I can take care of you.”
“We’ve not been away from each other,” she whispers.
“We are right next door,” Teagan assures her. “It will be just like her sleeping in her room at home.”
She nods. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
As Lily begins to vomit in the bin once again, voices echo from outside the door. “She’s my niece,” Max growls.
“She’s my sister,” Faith argues.
I turn and notice every single member of the Carter family are blocking the doorway. My heart melts at the sight. I’venever met a family so close-knit. It’s like their bond is cemented together. Aside from my nanna, none of my family are like this. My mum didn’t even visit me in the hospital when I had my appendix removed.
“She’s my best friend,” Maddox growls, moving into the room. He practically shoves Teagan out of the way to sit down next to Lily. She was clearly expecting it because she rolls her eyes and gets up.
“Guys, she’s fine,” Maverick calls out. “Go back to the bar.”
Faith steps further into the room, her eyes welling up with tears. “Did I do this? Did I make you panic again by asking you to come?”
“Sweetheart, she’s sick. It has nothing to do with anything else,” Teagan promises, rubbing her daughter’s arm.
“I want…” Lily vomits again. “To be here.”
Retching echoes behind me and I turn to see Max struggling to get back out of the room he fought so hard to enter. Mark snorts. “He could never handle people being sick.”
Retching fills the air again, and my lips twitch when I hear Hayden. “My god, you are so weak.”